Well well well, look who's in DC briefing the right-wing neoconservatives about Venezuela

[Catherina]

If it ain't Maria Corina Machado lying her cute little tush off

Audio: Venezuela's Simmering Political Crisis: A First-Hand Account
AUDIO at link
Jun 3, 2013
Duration: 01:21:43

Download Audio (Right-Click and Save)

With:

María Corina Machado
Representative from the State of Miranda
National Assembly of Venezuela

Welcome and Introduction:

Carl Meacham
Director
CSIS Americas Program
The CSIS Americas Program is pleased to invite you to a conversation with María Corina Machado, a representative from the State of Miranda in the Venezuelan National Assembly. Ms. Machado is also responsible for international outreach for Henrique Capriles, the presidential candidate for the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) in the October 2012 and April 2013 presidential elections. Prior to her visit to Washington, D.C., Ms. Machado traveled to Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Mexico, and has coordinated missions to other Latin American countries. During these visits, representatives of the opposition have given their viewpoints on the events following the disputed presidential election in April. These representatives have detailed the steps being taken to challenge the electoral outcome and offered insights into the frailty of Venezuelan institutions under the current government. A Q&A session will follow Ms. Machado's remarks.

http://csis.org/multimedia/audio-venezuelas-simmering-political-crisis-first-hand-account

Background: The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a right-wing, neoconservative think tank which was founded in 1962. Ray S. Cline was a cofounder. (36) Until 1986, CSIS was affiliated with Georgetown University. (2) Its first fulltime staff member was Richard V. Allen, a conservative Republican who was President Reagan's first National Security Adviser. (2) CSIS describes itself as "an independent insitution for public policy research in the field of foreign and national security affairs." It focuses on "the issues and challenges that confront the United States in advancing its global interests and discharging its global responsibilities.&quot 1) It claims to be anonpartisan institution of international, interdisciplinary scholars. (1)

However, Timothy S. Healy, president of Georgetown University, examined its affiliate and decided that CSIS was academically somewhat less credible than it claimed to be. Apparently, CSIS has no library, its faculty are seen more often on television than in the classroom (over 4,000 appearances in 1985), and its publications have a reputation (by academic standards) of being superficial. (2) CSIS has been called "a parking lot for former government big shots," and a "conservative propaganda machine," particularly for the policies of the Reagan administration. (2) Most CSIS senior fellows do not teach classes, but do draw handsome salaries (up to $70,000). (2)


The formal affiliation between Georgetown and CSIS ended on July 1, 1987. (1) An article in the London Tribune quotes a Washington Post article saying that Georgetown severed the relationship because of the strong identification CSIS had with the Reagan administration on arms control, Central America, and South Africa. The University was also disturbed because large contributions to CSIS come from some of the biggest defense contractors. (2)

...

More here: http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/articles/display/Center_for_Strategic_and_International_Studies

[midnight]

1. Interesting....

[Catherina]

6. Listening to her insurgent blather right now. Will be meeting with Congress and US Admin

It starts at minute 32:30, right after she talked about Brazil or was supposed to because this woman can't stick to the questions.

The journalist from AP, who poses the question about her expectations from her little tour in the US mentions that she has a briefing with members of the US Administration and members of the US Congress. (:wtf

She answers they're going to be meeting with a bipartisan Congressional panel and the media because public opinion is very important. Says anything could happen from social upheaval, rumors of a coup or a self-coup, Mario Silva, scenario of appeasement, society could be dominated, huge instability for Venezuela and for the region.

(Spring Spring Spring)

The reporter politely reminds her that he asked what her expectation from Washington are.

- wants US Congress to bring up their voices for the democratic process as other congresses in the region have done.

- wants the OAS, which is facing a challenge right now, to bring that up (what Maria? Strays off again) wants them to revisit how they deal with South America and Brazil.


Next journalist. What's your opinion about OAS Secretary Insulza saying he wouldn't bring up Venezuela if no member states brought it up.

- We feel terribly insulted.... Blah blah... He has the authority to bring it up and other countries would love to bring it up to.

Next journalist... More blah blah from poor suffering Maria Corina about government blackmail, how the opposition is showing leadership to lead blah blah... Her bs and poor speaking skills are worse than even Bush.

Someone from Georgetown asks her to speak about Venezuela's problems with the judicial branch and "as a Venezuelan-American, what can I do to help". More blah blah from Maria Corina. They lost two rulings so the judicial branch is corrupt. In terms of what the Venezuelan diaspora can do (lots of flattery first). Blah blah international agenda and make sure you all give us your email and contact information before leaving the room.


OMG. Some guy from Duke, under the guise of a question, gives a mini-lecture on how Cuba infiltrated and took over Venezuela and how that raises all sorts of red flags.

- Missy Machado and her pretty nose takes that ball and runs with it quite creatively.
all the journalists are either Venezuelan or Spanish-accented.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Awful, just awful. A royal circle jerk. Pathetic. n/t

[SamKnause]

2. Venezuela

A traitorous (B!+ch) to the majority of Venezuelan citizens.

The world would be a healthier happier place without Republican elites.

[Socialistlemur]

8. You would have to show a poll to prove your point, I guess

I'm not sure anybody can prove much about how the majority of Venezuela's feel about her. I understand she received a lot of sympathy when she was beaten and kicked in the face by Chavistas at the National Assembly. They tend to have fascistoid behavior, and this enhances her popularity. Also I'm not sure why a politician complaining about electoral fraud is "traitorous". Seems to me there's a lot of intolerance here. And even fear. If the elections hadn't been so close there wouldn't be a problem, but Maduro was a lousy candidate. And thus far I'm not impressed by the guy. He's been in charge since early December and he keeps mouthing off, traveling and failing to make corrections. They need a devaluation right now.

[ocpagu]

3. Hmmm...

Went to pick up her prize, I suppose...



And something else?



Someone gotta pay for the show...

[Judi Lynn]

4. They are organized, aren't they? They feel they've got both parties here to back them,

since they've snagged Florida Senator (Cuban-American errand-boy) Bill Nelson. Jesus H. Christ.

He has ALWAYS been their lackey. I believe he fears he'll be car-bombed if he doesn't kiss their plenteous Cuban "exile" asses.

[center]~ ~ ~[/center]
Machado: U.S. Congress to rule against Maduro (Google translation of article in El Nacional )

"We believe that the OAS faces a challenge that is unique, but each country belonging to the system should see this as a death threat," said Rep.

ap June 3, 2013 - 11:42 a.m.

The Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado on Monday urged the U.S. Congress to speak out against President Nicolas Maduro because he believes his April 14 victory as fraudulent and therefore weakens democratic institutions.

Machado said that during his stay in the U.S. capital plans to meet with members of the House from both parties.

Before departing on Wednesday, will meet with the chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the lower house, Republican Matt Salmon, the Florida senators Marco Rubio (R) and Democrat Bill Nelson, and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, President of the Senate committee for the fight against drugs.

But contacts are not limited to the legislature. Machado will meet Monday with Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere Roberta Jacobson and White House adviser for Ricardo Zuniga hemispheric issues.

More:
http://www.el-nacional.com/politica/Machado-Congreso-EE-UU-Maduro_0_202179886.html

[center]

Maria, the voice of the people! People like this fella:

[/center]

[Downwinder]

5. Looks like a FOX News girl.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

9. They lost

or, as Steve Cauthen once famously said when asked how he won a horse race: "I put my horse down. He put his horse down. My horse won."
Pretty doesn't make up for being a sore loser. An international sore loser now. And given the known history of the US in this region of the world, this borders on something quite a bit worse.

[Catherina]

10. I'm in total agreement with you n/t

[bvar22]

11. Wouldn't Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro be within his legal rights...

...to target Ms. Maria Corina Machado for a drone strike while she is meeting with foreign officials in the USA to plot the overthrow of the legitimately elected Venezuelan Government?

According to the Obama Administration, the answer is YES!

[Socialistlemur]

12. She's not plotting the overthrow

She's expressing her opinion about the postulated electoral fraud in Venezuela, and claimed human rights abuses. I see a lot of intolerance to dissenting opinions herein. It's a very USSR like environment. Individual political leaders do have a right to travel, meet with people, claim electoral fraud, and complain. That's protected speech. I do see a very focused propaganda campaign to smear the opposition in Venezuela, and I should add its backfiring. It shows a tremendous lack of tolerance for diversity. If the Maduro regime wants to stop this bs, it can carry out the full audit as requested by the opposition. Why doesn't he do it?

[bvar22]

14. She is conspiring with a hostile government to destabilize the duly elected...

...Democratic Government of Venezuela,

The USA has provided arms, funds, and intelligence to Colombia, a country known to have sponsored violent cross-border raids on the Venezuelan people,
and "suspected" to have been involved in several Coup Attempts against a Democratically Elected President.

There is certainly enough to justify "suspicion" that she is a traitor to Venezuela
working to overthrow the legal government.
The USA won't arrest her and extradite her.
In the Middle East, THAT is enough to earn a Drone Attack from the USA.

I'm not objecting to Maria Machado going anywhere she wants to go,
and talking to whomever.
I AM pointing out the hypocrisy and insanity of our government's current Preemptive Drone Assassination Policy against "suspected" insurgents.

Refresh my memory please:

*How many World Governments are claiming that there were irregularities in the recent Venezuelan election?

*Don't you find it laughable that the USA has the audacity to question ANYONE's elections?

*How come people who come to DU,
and choose screen names containing "Socialist" or "Radical" ....aren't?


VIVA Democracy!
I pray we get some here soon!

[ocpagu]

15. Great comment. Thanks! n/t

[Socialistlemur]

16. Her argument is that Venezuela's government isn't duly elected

Evidently the whole issue is the insistence by a political faction that elections were fraudulent. They are trying to make noise. My analysis is they really don't expect much, but they need to stay in the public eye. And they are doing a great job because I see the Maduro government overreacting....and of course the papers and the blogs document all the mid slinging. From what I gather they have elections in December and want to get a majority to show they got the people behind them and the economy is a real mess.

The problem is Maduro has a mindset, shared by the PSUV, that everything is about winning elections rather than governance. He doesn't know what government is about, copies Chavez' style. And he also fails to attribute himself any ideas or assume real leadership. Do you watch his speeches? He's always saying whatever he does was willed by Chavez. This is a huge mistake. Chavez is dead. Has been out for 6 months. Either Maduro assumes the post, takes charge, says he's got a head on his shoulders and faces reality or this government is toast.

BECAUSE the opposition sees what's happening, and the way the economy is hurting, they are going to make noise, let the government cook itself, go for an electoral win in December, and wait as the majority of the pupation is clearly on their side. By then I think the Chavistas will get rid of Maduro.

[Catherina]

13. meetings with Marco Rubio, Bill Nelson, Chuck Grassley, Ricardo Zuniga, Roberta Jacobson

The Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado on Monday urged the U.S. Congress to speak out against President Nicolas Maduro.

....

Before departing on Wednesday, (Machado) will meet with Republican Matt Salmon, the Chairman of Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, Florida senators Marco Rubio (R) and Bill Nelson (D), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Co-Chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.

But contacts are not limited to the legislature. Machado will meet Monday with Roberta Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and Ricardo Zuniga, Special Assistant to President Obama and Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council..

"We believe that the United States plays an important role in the inter-American system," she said during a presentation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS for its acronym in English).

http://www.contrainjerencia.com/?p=68484